EPL 2016/17: How Leicester City were found out this season
“We have two problems: conceding goals and not scoring.” – Claudio Ranieri
If only Ranieri could fix them both with a wave of a magic wand. Unfortunately, Leicester City’s problems run very deep and the mood at the King Power Stadium seems apt for Andrea Bocelli to serenade us with yet another performance, only this time, to highlight the tragic circumstances that have befallen the Premier League champions.
The Foxes find themselves in 17th place – one bad result away from propping up the rest of the teams they looked down upon only nine months ago. League leaders Chelsea are now 39 points ahead of Ranieri’s side. Even if Antonio Conte’s side lost every game from here on in and the Foxes won every game, they’d only equal their points tally.
Suddenly the tag of “defending champions” seems unworthy. Leicester haven’t scored a single goal in the league for over 10 hours (610 minutes). They haven’t scored a single goal in 2017. No champions in the last 60 years have lost five games in a row.
| # | Team | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Middlesbrough | 4 | 10 | 11 | 22 |
| 17 | Leicester City | 5 | 6 | 14 | 21 |
| 18 | Hull City | 5 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 19 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 4 | 16 | 19 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 5 | 4 | 16 | 19 |
“Of course, I must change something because it is not possible to continue in this way,” Ranieri said, stating the obvious. So why are Leicester struggling?
Also read: 5 league champions who were relegated the very next season
Losing Kante is not an excuse
N’Golo Kante was heavily criticised for his £32m move to Chelsea but, in hindsight, he will be convinced he made the right decision. Chelsea look a different beast to the one that rolled over last season and look well set to win the title in Conte's debut season.
The French midfielder was instrumental in Leicester’s title triumph by shielding a defence of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth while also covering as much ground as possible to win balls and initiate counter-attacks. That shield is no longer available to Ranieri and the two centre-backs are not exactly getting any younger.
However, one look at the Foxes’ Champions League campaign proves that the loss of Kante was not the root of their problems. Ranieri’s side steamrolled past opponents and did not concede a single goal until Matchday 5.
By then they were top of the table with a game to spare and Porto’s 5-0 thrashing was nothing more than a temporary itch since Ranieri had played a second-string side on the final day with no chance of losing top spot.
Almost everyone accepted that Leicester winning the league by overcoming 5000/1 odds last season was a feat that was never going to be repeated. But nobody expected such a huge fall from grace this season and it cannot be pinned on the loss of just one player.
Why Vardy and Mahrez have failed this season
Although Leicester conceded quite a few goals last season (they didn’t keep a clean sheet until their 10th league game), they simply scored more than they conceded to win all three points on a number of occasions. There’s no easier way to put it.
Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were responsible for scoring 41 goals last season (60% of Leicester’s total) but this season they have only scored eight goals so far. Their magic touch on the ball seems to have deserted them this season but, in truth, they have been found out and opponents know how to tackle the duo.
Mahrez, who won the PFA Player of the Year for his 17 goals and 11 assists, seems to have reserved his contributions for the Champions League this season. He has four goals in five appearances in Europe but only three in 23 games in the league.
Last season he was the king of the cut-back and cutting inside to use his favoured left foot. Now, opponents try to shepherd him to the outside where he is less of a threat and double-team him if he attempts to move the ball inside to his stronger left foot.
On the other hand, Vardy has been neutralised thanks to the lack of space at the back for him to exploit. The 30-year-old has only scored five goals this season but three of them came against Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola had got it horribly wrong when he deployed a weak back-three playing a high line against a counter-attacking team with pace playing two strikers up front. As a result, Vardy notched his hat-trick and Leicester seemed to have arrested their slide down the table.
In the end, it proved to be nothing but a false dawn. Other teams have learned to deny Leicester any space at the back and Vardy no longer has room to work with.
Vardy may have hit his peak last season and may never truly hit the same heights again. On the other hand, 25-year-old Mahrez still has a long way to go in his career. If Leicester are to be relegated, he could jump ship with a number of Premier League suitors ready to pounce.
Also read: What If: Leicester City get relegated but win the Champions League
Can Ranieri save Leicester?
This is a question that has left even Leicester fans divided. A section of fans wants the Italian replaced before it is too late. However, sacking the man who led the club to its only top-flight league title in its 133-year history seems a little harsh.
It seems too late for the 65-year-old Tinkerman to change tactics and experiment with the squad. Can he add more creativity in the centre of the park – a region of the pitch devoid of chance creation? Will he sacrifice players on the flanks as a result? And how can he get the best out of Vardy at the same time?
What is at stake is more than just pride. It wouldn’t be the first time the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League and it may not be the last. However, with £100m a season given to every club thanks to the highly lucrative television deal, that is something they will not want to lose out on.
“Every time I speak to the players and the players speak to me we are always confident we can change the situation. But now there are a few matches in front of us so we have to find a solution very, very soon.
“There are two matches in front of us, one in the FA Cup and one in the Champions League but our mind is on the Premier League.”
Right now it is the two knockout competitions that could save Ranieri’s job. Based on current form, overcoming La Liga’s third-placed Sevilla looks difficult. However, an FA Cup run could spark the comeback required in the Premier League to avoid relegation.
Only two years ago the Foxes stared down the barrel of relegation. Eight wins and a draw in their last nine games saw them miraculously survive and even finish as high as 14th despite sitting at the bottom of the table for 19 weeks prior to that turnaround.
Ranieri and the Leicester faithful will hope for exactly the same thing this season.